Life Simulator

Ethiopia: what if you were born here?

Every year 4,105,685 babies are born here — 4.5% of the births across the game’s 30 countries.

67.6 yearsLife expectancy
34%Lived to 80
Be born hereBe born anywhere, by real birth odds

1,000 lives born here, lived by the game

Each life starts from this country’s births and makes the choices most people make. Shares of adults are of the lives that reached 30. Next to each figure: the same for babies born anywhere in the game’s 30 countries.

Average lifespan68.4 years30 countries 71.4 years
Lived to 8034%30 countries 40.5%
Ever married97.8%30 countries 93.2%
Children, on average3.9530 countries 2.54
Went to university4.7%30 countries 31.4%
Rose far above their start4.4%30 countries 7.4%
Moved abroad1.1%30 countries 2.3%

How these lives ended — the most common

  1. Other infectious diseases14%
  2. Other cardiovascular diseases10.1%
  3. Stroke10.1%
  4. Other noncommunicable diseases9.5%
  5. Other cancers9.1%

The most common work

  1. Farming42.4%
  2. Farm hands13%
  3. Labouring8.9%
  4. Cleaning5.7%
  5. Cooking4.5%

Official statistics

YearSource
Life expectancy at birth, women71 years2024World Bank WDI
Life expectancy at birth, men64.4 years2024World Bank WDI
Infant deaths per 1,000 births34.52024World Bank WDI
Deaths before 5 per 1,000 births44.52024World Bank WDI
Births per woman3.912024World Bank WDI
Income per person (GDP, PPP)$3,6222025World Bank WDI
Inequality (Gini index)31.12021World Bank WDI
Expected years of schooling9.2 years2023UNDP Human Development Report 2025 via Our World in Data
Living in cities24.1%2025World Bank WDI
Using the internet21.9%2024World Bank WDI
Life satisfaction (0–10)3.982025World Happiness Report
Military serviceNot compulsory2024CIA World Factbook 2024 reproduced by Theodora.com

Other countries

One life at a time, by real numbers

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